11 thunderstorm wind, 4 tornado, 1 flash flood, as filed by the National Weather Service.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Jackson, MS wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 15, 2:00 PM CST, 1 hour earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS 230 PM CST SAT FEB 15 2002 ...FORECAST CHALLENGES... MAIN FORECAST QUESTIONS ON THE SHORT TERM FOR THIS PACKAGE CONCERN THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME HEAVY RAINFALL AND SEVERE POTENTIAL FOR TONIGHT WITH THE SLOW SPEED OF THE DEPARTING SYSTEM. FOR SUNDAY IT WILL BE THE LINGERING LIGHT RAIN IN THE MORNING WITH LITTLE TEMPERATURE RANGES AFTER THE FRONTAL PASSAGE. FOR SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT IT WILL BE MAINLY TEMPS. FOR THE LONG TERM IT WILL BE TO DETERMINE THE CHANCES OF RAIN AS MOISTURE GRADUALLY INCREASES AHEAD OF A SOUTHERN STREAM SYSTEM FOR FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. OTHERWISE IT WILL BE MAINLY TEMPS FOR TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. ...CURRENTLY... SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS BAND OF STONG CONVECTION FROM SOUTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA INTO SOUTHWEST MISSISSIPPI THIS AFTERNOON...GENERALLY ALONG GOOD LOW LEVEL WARM ADVECTION AND 250 SPEED MAX. THIS WAS ASSOCIATED WITH A BROAD UPPER TROUGH MOVING ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN PLAINS. THERE WERE SEVERAL STRONG SHORT WAVES APPROACHING THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. THE COLD FRONT WAS LOCATED FROM ARKANSAS THROUGH LOUISIANA AND WAS APPROACHING THE DELTA REGION WITH DEWPOINTS IN THE LOWER 60S AHEAD OF THE FRONT. PRECIPITABLE WATER WAS RUNNING AT AROUND 1.5 INCHES. SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT... THE AVN/ETA WERE CONVERGING TOWARD THE UKMET SOLUTION IN THE UPPER LEVELS THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT. FOR TONIGHT THE BROAD UPPER TROUGH WILL APPROACH THE REGION...SENDING A COLD FRONT THROUGH. THE BEST HELICITY/SHEAR WILL BE ALONG THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BEGIN TO DECREASE FROM THE WEST MAINLY AFTER MIDNIGHT. WILL PUT A FEW POSSIBLY SEVERE OVER THE EAST/SOUTHEAST EARLY THIS EVENING...WHERE INSTABILITY WILL BE A LITTLE BETTER WITH VGP NEAR .2 AND EHI .3 TO .45 JUST AHEAD OF THE FRONTAL PASSAGE. CHECKING JET STRUCTURE A WEAK LOW LEVEL JET WILL BE OVER THE EAST/SOUTHEAST THIS EVENING...ALONG WITH A WEAK SPEED MAX. LAPSE RATES WILL BE AROUND 6 DEGREES. ELSEWHERE A FEW OF THE STORMS COULD BE STRONG ALONG AND JUST AHEAD OF THE FRONT...CAUSING SOME BRIEF HIGH WIND GUSTS. SOME OF THE STRONGER STORMS COULD COME OUT OF THE SOUTH AND PUSH ACROSS THE EAST AND SOUTHEAST EARLY THIS EVENING. CHECKING THE HEAVY RAIN POTENTIAL PRECIPITABLE WATER WILL HOLD AT AROUND 1.5 FOR TONIGHT WITH MANUAL PROGS GOING AT 1 TO 2 INCHES...WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE FROM TRAINING. BELIEVE A FLOOD WATCH WILL NOT BE NECESSARY AT THIS TIME...BUT WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR...TRAINING ACTIVITY TO THE SOUTH. REGIONAL CROSS SECTIONS/TIME SERIES SHOWS STRONG OMEGA VALUES MAINLY BEFORE MIDNIGHT. SO WILL KEEP RAINFALL HEAVY AT TIMES. ON SUNDAY THE RAINS WILL TAPER OFF IN THE MORNING. THE COMBINATION OF THE UPPER TROUGH PASSAGE AND THE 850 THERMAL TROUGH WILL KEEP CLOUDS AROUND WITH A COOLER AIRMASS MOVING INTO THE REGION. FOR SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY PER MESOETA MODEL SOUNDING...THERE MAY BE ENOUGH COOL AIR AND LOW LEVEL MOISTURE TO SQUEEZE OUT SOME FREEZING DRIZZLE...BUT ITS TOO EARLY TO SPECULATE AT THIS TIME. THE 850 THERMAL TROUGH...ACCORDING TO THE ETA/GFS WILL DEPART THE REGION ON LATE MONDAY. SO WILL DECREASE THE CLOUDS ON MONDAY NIGHT. AS THE UPPER TROUGH MOVES OUT A FLAT SOUTHERN STREAM ZONAL PATTERN WILL REDEVELOP ACROSS THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. WILL GO WITH A BLEND OF ETA/MAV TEMPS AND POPS. LONG TERM...TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY... THE GFS CONTINUED TO SHOW A PROGRESSIVE SOUTHERN STREAM PATTERN. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BE PREVALENT ON TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING SYSTEM IN THE PLAINS. LOW LEVEL SOUTHERLY RETURN WILL GRADUALLY INCREASE MEAN MOISTURE SOME FOR WEDNESDAY OVER THE NORTH HALF...BUT NOT ENOUGH FOR ANY RAINFALL AS A WEAK PACIFIC FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE AREA. FOR THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY A STRONG SHORTWAVE WILL ENTER THE SOUTHERN PLAINS AND BRING INTO GOOD MEAN MOISTURE FOR THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY...AS A STORM SYSTEM DEVELOPS IN THE REGION. THE SYSTEM WILL BRING IN BREEZY CONDITIONS WITH SOME RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS FOR FRIDAY AS THE COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH. THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL MOVE ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA ON SATURDAY...BRINGING INTO SOME LIGHT POST FRONTAL RAIN FOR SATURDAY MORNING BEFORE DEPARTING. BREEZY CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE ON SATURDAY. THE EUROPEAN/UK MODELS AND THE CANADIAN WERE GENERALLY SIMILAR WITH THE UPPER FEATURES THROUGH EARLY THURSDAY...BUT EUROPEAN/UK WAS A LITTLE LOWER IN MOVING THE PACIFIC FRONT ON EARLY THURSDAY...WHILE THE CANADIAN HELD THE PACIFIC SYSTEM IN THE PLAINS...THROUGH EARLY THURSDAY...AS A MORE POTENT SYSTEM APPROACHES. THE NOGAPS WAS EVEN SLOWER WITH THE PROGRESSION OF THE SURFACE AND UPPER PATTERN. SO WITH THIS IN MIND WILL PUT IN CHANCE OF RAIN FOR LATE IN THE WEEK AND GO CLOSE TO MEX TEMPS. PRELIM NUMBERS: JAN 48/53/32/50/28 9200 MEI 52/57/32/48/27 9400 .JAN... AR...NONE. LA...NONE. MS...NONE. 17
ARZ074-075-LAZ007>009-015-016-023>026-MSZ018-019-025>066-072>074- 161200- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS 0647 AM CST SAT FEB 15 2003 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI... NORTHEAST LOUISIANA...AND EXTREME SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT... ...THUNDERSTORMS... THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING FOR EXTREME SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS...NORTHEAST LOUISIANA...AND MUCH OF MISSISSIPPI. THE GREATEST RISK FOR ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE ACROSS SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI...GENERALLY SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 20 AND EAST OF INTERSTATE 55. THIS INCLUDES THE LAUREL AND HATTIESBURG AREAS. DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 58 MILES AN HOUR AND LARGE HAIL WILL BE THE PRIMARY SEVERE WEATHER CONCERNS TODAY. ABUNDANT GULF MOISTURE WILL COMBINE WITH AN APPROACHING FRONTAL SYSTEM AND SEVERAL UPPER AIR DISTURBANCES TO PRODUCE THE POSSIBILITY OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. IN ADDITION...THERE WILL BE A SUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF WIND SHEAR...OR CHANGE IN WIND SPEED AND/OR DIRECTION WITH HEIGHT...THIS AFTERNOON AS TEMPERATURES WARM INTO THE 60S AND 70S. THESE CONDITIONS WILL CREATE A FAVORABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AFTER 1 PM. TEMPERATURES WARMING INTO THE LOWER AND MIDDLE 70S ACROSS SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI SHOULD ALLOW THE ATMOSPHERE ACROSS THE LAUREL AND HATTIESBURG AREAS TO BECOME SLIGHTLY MORE UNSTABLE THAN THE REMAINDER OF THE REGION. FOR THIS REASON...SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI WILL HAVE A BETTER CHANCE FOR SEEING SEVERE WEATHER. ...FLOODING... LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL COULD RESULT IN THE PONDING OF WATER ON AREA ROADWAYS ACROSS EXTREME SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS...NORTHEAST LOUISIANA...AND MUCH OF MISSISSIPPI TODAY AND TONIGHT. ABUNDANT GULF MOISTURE WILL COMBINE WITH AN APPROACHING FRONTAL SYSTEM AND SEVERAL UPPER AIR DISTURBANCES TO PRODUCE THE POSSIBILITY OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TODAY AND TONIGHT. AS THE COLD FRONT APPROACHES THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER...IT IS EXPECTED TO SLOW. THIS WILL LEAD TO HEAVY RAINFALL PRODUCING THUNDERSTORMS MOVING OVER THE SAME AREAS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY... NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT... THE ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTER GROUPS...HAM RADIO OPERATORS...AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL...IN SUPPORT OF SEVERE WEATHER OPERATIONS...MAY BE NEEDED AFTER 1 PM TODAY. FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/JAN. THIS INCLUDES THE GRAPHICAL HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
11 thunderstorm wind, 4 tornado, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Water on area roads resulted in a car hydroplaning off of US Highway 84.
Thunderstorm winds toppled numerous trees along the Rankin/Simpson County border.
A tornado touched down in southeastern Rankin County, just north of the Puckett community. It travelled approximately one mile northeast before lifting. Damage in the area was minor, with the roofs removed from three chicken houses. Several trees and numerous limbs were also blown down.
A few trees were blown down in the area by thunderstorm winds.
A tornado touched down about six miles east of Polkville, in Northwest Smith County. As it travelled northeast, it produced tree damage in the Bienville National Forest. It moved into southern Scott County, about 9.1 miles northeast of Polkville, around 448 PM.
The tornado moved into Scott County, about four miles southeast of Pulaski, from Smith County around 448 PM CST. It then moved northeast for 2.5 miles, lifting back into the clouds approximately four miles east of Pulask around 453 PM CST. In its path, numerous trees were demolished and parts of a few roofs were peeled away.
Thunderstorm winds blew down a few trees near Mile Marker 86 along Interstate 20.
A tornado tuched down 3 miles NW of Lawrence and stayed on the ground for 2 miles. This tornado blew a mobile home off its foundation and destroyed the porch. A hay barn had a piece of its metal roof blown off and carried 1/4 mile away. Four chicken houses sustained minor to major structual damage. This weak tornado also blew down numerous trees along its path.
Thunderstorm winds blew down numerous trees and flipped over a shed.
Thunderstorm winds knocked down a few trees in the Hickory area.
Thunderstorm winds knocked down numerous trees and powerlines.
Thunderstorm winds knocked down a few trees in the Lawrence area.
Thunderstorm winds knocked down a few trees near the Jasper, Jones county line near Moss.
Thunderstorm winds knocked down a few trees N of I-20 in Meridian.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Mississippi in 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Mississippi, 2003Warnings in Mississippi, February 2003
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5342362, 5342363, 5342364, 5342465, 5342466, 5342467, 5342468, 5342469, 5342470, 5342471, 5342472, 5342473, 5342474, 5342475, 5342476, 5342477.